Cliff moved to Kingston in 1962. After he released two singles that failed to make much of an impression, his career took off when his "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged just 14; it was produced by Leslie Kong, with whom Cliff would remain until Kong's death. Later local hit singles included "King of Kings", "Dearest Beverley" and "Pride and Passion". In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of the Jamaican representatives at the World's Fair, and Cliff soon signed to Island Records and moved to Britain. Island initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, which received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall", a Brazilian hit that won the International Song Festival.
"Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Folk rock singer-songwriter Bob Dylan even called "Vietnam" the best protest song he'd ever heard. Wonderful World included a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World", which was a success in 1970.
Leslie Kong died of a heart attack in 1971. The soundtrack to the reggae film The Harder They Come was a huge success that sold well across the world, but did not break Cliff into the mainstream. After a series of albums, Cliff took a break and traveled to Africa, exploring his newfound Muslim spirituality. He quickly returned to music, touring for several years before he recorded with Kool & the Gang for Power & the Glory (1983). (During the 1981 River Tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band added Cliff's little-known "Trapped" to their live set; it achieved great prominence when included on 1985's We Are the World benefit album.) The follow-up, Cliff Hanger (1985) won a Grammy Award, though it was his last major success in the U.S. until 1993. He continued to sell well in Jamaica and, to a lesser extent, the UK, returning to the mainstream pop charts in the U.S. and elsewhere with a version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" on the Cool Runnings film soundtrack in 1993 .
In 2002, Cliff released his new album, Fantastic Plastic People in Europe, after first providing free downloads using Delacove's People Music Media p2p software. This album featured collaborations with Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, and Sting as well as new songs that were very reminiscent of Cliff's original hits. In 2004 Cliff completely reworked the songs, dropping the traditional reggae in favor of an electronica sound, for inclusion in Black Magic.
Cliff has also covered the famous African song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
His recording of 'You Can Get It If You Really Want' was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the 1990 election in Nicaragua (they lost). It was also adopted by the British Conservative Party during their annual conference in October, 2007. It is unclear whether Mr Cliff endorsed either party. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame March 15,2010.
Hold Tight
Jimmy Cliff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a tooth for a tooth. (2x)
In this struggle for our survival
Your best friend can be your biggest rival.
If we must live by the laws of the jungle
Like dogs and pigs to rumble and tumble now.
And a tooth for a tooth. (2x)
It's an eye for an eye,
And a tooth for a tooth.
It's a war for world domination.
You've got to stand and declare your posession.
Cause we're the righteous won't be the agressors,
But we will fight against oppressors now.
Then it's an eye for an eye,
And a tooth for a tooth.
Because it's an eye for an eye,
And a tooth for a tooth.
Because a lie is a lie
And the truth is the truth.
So it's an eye for an eye,
And a tooth for a tooth.
Hold I, hold to your brush.
Hold I, be on your boundry.
Hold I, don't you let go now.
Hold I, yeah yeah.
Eye for an eye,
Tooth for a tooth.
And we know we won't be the losers,
We'll be the victors, or be the martyrs.
Cause we're fighting in the way of the most I,
That's how we know we shall not die now.
Hold I, hold to your brush.
Hold I, be on your boundry.
Hold I, don't you let go.
Hold I...
Chourse...
We won't be the agressors
Fight downpressors now...
And dis ya jungle laws here
Me say...
Hold I my brush.
Don't you let go man.
The song "Hold Tight" by Jimmy Cliff speaks about the human nature of seeking revenge and taking matters into our own hands rather than using a diplomatic and peaceful approach. The opening lines "It's an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" reflects the idea of taking revenge on someone who has wronged you. The opening verse talks about the survival of the fittest in a dog-eat-dog world, where even your closest friend can turn out to be your greatest rival. The lyrics are addressing the age-old concept of 'perceived threat', where people tend to react to perceived threats by lashing out and attacking others, ignoring the significance of diplomacy, dialogue, and peaceful conflict resolution.
Moving on, the next verse talks about the concept of world domination and imposing one's views on others. In this case, Jimmy Cliff speaks about the 'righteous' who will refuse to be the aggressor but will fight against those who oppress them. With lines like "We won't be the losers; we'll be the victors, or be the martyrs," the lyrics encourage listeners to fight against oppressors and stand up for what they believe in. Through the reference to divine inspiration, "That's how we know we shall not die now," Jimmy Cliff is addressing the deep-seated religious beliefs that have been the backbone of African cultures throughout history.
Overall, “Hold Tight” is a call to action, asking listeners to remain steadfast and determined in the face of difficulties, whether it be in the personal, societal or political sphere. The song encourages people to hold on tightly to what they believe in, stand by their convictions, and refuse to give up or let go of what they hold so dear.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it's an eye for an eye,
The concept of revenge is essential
And a tooth for a tooth. (2x)
Retaliation must be proportional to the offense
In this struggle for our survival
We are fighting for our existence
Your best friend can be your biggest rival.
Those closest to you can become your enemies
If we must live by the laws of the jungle
If we are forced to resort to violence
Like dogs and pigs to rumble and tumble now.
Fighting like animals
It's a war for world domination.
This conflict is for control over the world
You've got to stand and declare your posession.
You must assert your ownership
Cause we're the righteous won't be the agressors,
We are the righteous, we will not start the fighting
But we will fight against oppressors now.
But we will fight against those who oppress us
Then it's an eye for an eye,
Retaliation is vital
And a tooth for a tooth.
It must be proportional to the offense
Because a lie is a lie
Falsehood will not be tolerated
And the truth is the truth.
Only the truth will be accepted
So it's an eye for an eye,
Retaliation is necessary
Hold I, hold to your brush.
Stand your ground
Hold I, be on your boundry.
Defend your territory
Hold I, don't you let go now.
Don't give up
Eye for an eye, Tooth for a tooth.
Retaliation must always be proportional
And we know we won't be the losers,
We are confident that we will win
We'll be the victors, or be the martyrs.
We will either win or die trying
Cause we're fighting in the way of the most I,
We are fighting for a higher power
That's how we know we shall not die now.
That is how we know we will survive
And dis ya jungle laws here
In this world of violence
Me say...Hold I my brush.
I say, hold your ground
Don't you let go man.
Don't give up
Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Iwe Okeoghene Blessing
on No. 1 Rip-Off Man
Chorus
One more, one more, one more, one more
Verse
I got one more song I must sing
Ting-aline, freedom ring
I got one more song I must sing
A simple song, so sing along
Repeat chorus
I got one more story to tell
Mystery, my story
I got one more story to tell
True story, my glory
Repeat chorus
I got one more arrow in my bow
As I let it go, just watch my flow
I got one more arrow in my bow
To the target, and it's a hit
Repeat chorus
Bridge
Hey baby don't you go away
I want you to listen
What I have to say
It's not over, till it's over
I'm a natural lover
Hey mister, get out of my way
This is not no time to play
Hey mister get out of my way
I got to live for another day, All we got
Chorus
One more(life to live)
One more(love to give)
One more(cliff to climb)
One more(it's my time)
I got one more bullet in my gun
And I can't run, till the deal is done
I got one more bullet in my gun
And I won't run, till the deal is done
Repeat chorus
I got one more shot at the prize
So don't be surprised, open your eyes
I got one more shot at the goal
Straight from my soul
And I'm in control
Repeat chorus till fade
Iwe Okeoghene Blessing
on No. 1 Rip-Off Man
Rip off man
Edwin Nyirenda
on Brother
Brother - Jimmy cliff
Will you patronize me – brother
Do you recognize me – brother
Do you believe what your teacher said
Or is it the food that your preacher fed
Why you minimize me – brother
Oh brother
Joseph and his brothers – left Canaan
They saw the little brother – in Egypt
They both had the same cause and the same purpose
They come about the same hurt that they got back the most
Do you understand me – my brother
Oh brother
Brother (X4)
Let us help the fallen – sister
She will love to call you – mister
Do you see the need for unity
To bring about respect and dignity
Don’t you understand me – my brother
Brother
Will you patronize me – brother
Do you recognize me – brother
Is it the things that your teacher said
Or is it the food that your preacher fed
Why you minimize me – my brother
Oh brother
Are you my brother now hey hey yeah oh yeah hey hey
Are you my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother
Are you my brother now hey hey hey hey
Are you my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother
You don’t wanna understand me now oh brother
Oh brother
Oh brother
Are you my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, my brother